The Home Depot launched a quick response (QR) code initiative with mobile barcode platform developer Scanbuy on March 22. Consumers can scan QR codes for products to receive information, such as product reviews and how-to guides, from the retailer.

"The main objective is to further enhance the customer shopping experience by offering additional product and project know-how and increase customer conversion." said Tom Sweeney, senior director of online strategy at Homedepot.com, via e-mail.

The retailer is rolling out the service in its print catalog and in stores that sell patio sets and live goods products, like plants and flowers.

"You'll be able to pull a product from Home Depot's shelf, and there'll be a QR code on it," said Mike Wehrs, president and CEO of Scanbuy. "If you scan it, you'll get either a video on how to use that particular product, information about the supplier, appropriate usage guidelines, safety instructions, basically whatever Home Depot would like to have associated with that particular product."

Consumers will also be able to purchase the product using their mobile phone after scanning the QR codes in-store or at home.

"By integrating our marketing message in an interactive manner, we will gain an understanding of what type of content drives the customer to interact with our brand both inside and outside the store," said Sweeney. He added that Home Depot will not use any collected data for remarketing.

Wehrs said that from the information Scanbuy collects from each interaction, the company will "be able to tell [Home Depot] that this particular product was scanned at this particular time in this particular store." He said Scanbuy will be able to track whether the scanned product was purchased, the length of time between scan and purchase, and the effectiveness of any cross-sell or up-sell efforts.

Consumers can scan the codes using any mobile scanner apps, including Scanbuy's ScanLife barcode reader, said Wehrs.